Since 1922, the Netherlands Bach Society has performed the St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) annually in the Grote Kerk of Naarden, usually during Holy Week (around Palm Sunday and Good Friday).
It is an authentic, church performance featuring two choirs, two orchestras, and a boys' choir, focused on the original spirit of Bach (not a large Romantic choir like those formerly performed in the Concertgebouw).
The tradition has grown into the definitive Dutch icon of the St Matthew Passion and has been listed on the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Netherlands since 2021.
The work itself is a moving musical retelling of the Passion of Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew, featuring arias, choirs, and chorales.
The Naarden performance remains a highlight for many around Easter.
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